The Backyard Astronomer
February 2026 – Back to the Moon
Outside of space enthusiasts, Apollo 8 is an almost forgotten mission. On December 21, 1968, three astronauts launched aboard a Saturn V rocket from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. Just 68 hours later,…
January 2026 – A Winter Sky Worth Watching
The new year kicks off with cosmic fireworks as the Quadrantid Meteor Shower peaks in the early morning hours of January 3rd. Believed to originate from debris left behind by a long-lost…
December 2025 – Occupy Space
On December 4th, 1998, Space Shuttle Endeavour lifted off carrying some very special cargo: Unity, the first U.S.-built module of what would become the International Space Station. Two days later, NASA astronaut…
November 2025 – Lunar Peculiarities
Imagine watching the formation of our Solar System some 4.5 billion years ago. From an omniscient view, dozens—perhaps hundreds—of planetoids are jockeying for position, carving out orbits around a newborn Sun. Smaller…
October 2025 – Lions and Comets and Bears, OH MY!
Nearly every evening, the Steward Observatory’s 60-inch Cassegrain reflector takes thousands of photos, the same as it has for almost two decades. From their perch atop Mount Lemmon at over 9,100 feet…
September 2025 – In the Shadow of Titan
It seems that discoveries across the Universe are announced almost daily. The Hubble Space Telescope, launched into low Earth orbit in 1990, has been a workhorse in this effort, capturing and analyzing…
August 2025 – Early Risers
The early bird may get the worm, but the early astronomer gets the universe. August 2025 belongs to the early risers—when the Moon leads the dance and the planets shine their brightest…
July 2025 – Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower
As summer unfolds over Prescott, Arizona, July brings two celestial events that promise to captivate both seasoned astronomers and casual skywatchers alike: the New Moon on July 24 and the Delta Aquariid…
June 2025 – Solstice Mesa
The celebration of solstices and equinoxes are documented in almost every culture worldwide. Varying types of events have become regional staples, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, where the date around June 20-21st…
May 2025 – Life In The Cosmos
Humans have likely always looked at the sky and wondered if we are alone in the universe. From the classical Roman god messenger Mercury to the angelic hosts of the Abrahamic religions,…